Graphic-information flow method and system for visually analyzing patterns and relationships

ABSTRACT

A novel display control and information management system seamlessly integrates layered and slotted formatted data from local and remote sources to provide a highly versatile information display. The system permits selective control of display and display features so that complex data and data flows can be seamlessly accessed with enhanced cognition of salient information by a user.

RELATED DOCUMENT INFORMATION

This application is a continuation-in-part application of co-pendingU.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/007,387 entitled “GraphicInformation Flow Method and System for Visually Analyzing Patterns andRelationships” filed on Oct. 22, 2001, now allowed, and U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application No. 60/642,537 filed on Jan. 11, 2005, and U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 60/644,987 filed on Jan. 21, 2005.The entire disclosures of the above-referenced applications are herebyincorporated by reference in this application.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention generally relates to computer controlled graphic displaysystems. More specifically, the present invention provides systems andsoftware for organizing and configuring large, complex sets of graphicinformation for quick access and in-depth analytical study. Theinvention enables the integration of information from many sources forviewing in a layered and slotted, interactive map format.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Throughout the ages, humans have devised ways to record, then examine,their thoughts and mental images on paper. People draw depictions ofevents, places, projects, and sets of objects. They chart scientificprocesses, demographics, weather conditions, and mechanical systems; andthey diagram organizations, trade routes, music, and inventions. Thesedrawings aid both the originator and subsequent audiences in picturingspatial or symbolic relationships. Paper drawings and maps arerepresentations of the real world; but often the viewer must struggle tosee only what is relevant amidst too much information. Transparentoverlays can separate graphic information, but are cumbersome andrestrictive. Reference documents such as catalogues, guide books,atlases, and encyclopedias gather together images and text descriptions;but the user must flip back and forth between pages to find, link, andcompare information.

Today, computers are now being used to generate, compile, and retrievesuch graphic records. However, they have not as yet enabled viewers tosmoothly call forth sets of graphic data to inform and stimulate asustained, multi-faceted, analytical thought process. For example,computer programs that employ graphics layering are currently used togenerate illustrations (computer graphics), drawings of designs (CADD),and searchable and thematic geographic maps (GIS).

Computer graphics can be used to draw lines and shapes which may beorganized into layers for overlapping and for showing and hiding beforebeing output as a printed or digital illustration. CADD (Computer-AidedDesign and Drafting) is used to create plans of products, vehicles,buildings, utility systems, and other three-dimensional objects. CADDemploys layering technology to draft and show different views of athree-dimensional object. A GIS (Geographic Information System) plotsdata on a map with layers of points, lines, and polygons representingland features. Each GIS feature has an entry in a database with itsname, a set of coordinates (which may be real-world latitude andlongitude) for positioning the feature on the screen, and attribute datawhich may be shown in a separate window and queried to determine a setof features to be displayed.

These graphics-making programs are used primarily by technicians toproduce a singular image for publication and, in limited ways, forinteractive analysis. However, non-technicians—the public, executives,and experts in non-computer fields—cannot use them to easily access andmanipulate selections of layered materials. Nor can they easily createor assemble their own sets of interactive, layered data.

GIS (Geographic Information Systems) has come furthest in addinginteractivity to computer-generated images. Drop-down menus, graphicstools, and palettes are used for customized map production; this slow,unwieldy process is of very limited use for multi-faceted analysis.Networked GIS is used within corporate and government intranets toprovide staff access to data displayed on geographic maps; it is alsoused on World Wide Web sites for the public to find a street address orthe location of one particular facility or type of facility (see“Serving Maps on the Internet,” by Christian Harder, 1998, EnvironmentalSystems Research Institute, Inc., Redlands, Calif., incorporated hereinby reference as if restated in full.) In addition to searching foraddresses and facilities, the interactive capabilities of current onlineGIS include zooming in and out and panning within a large digital mapfile.

A typical GIS often also has a large database with thematic informationfor places on the map. However, current GIS does not provide forseamless access to subset combinations from extensive data sets. Alegend, table of contents, or key shows a small selection of themes andthe symbols associated with subsets within each theme. In some cases,entire themes may be shown or hidden by clicking a check box next to thetheme title on the legend; however, a particular subset within a themecannot be shown or hidden. Current online GIS interfaces rely on thescrolling of palette scroll bars to extend the legend and to viewselections for queries; this scrolling breaks the flow of data selectionand severely limits the organization and amount of data that can beaccessed. Sometimes scrolling is also required to view the entire mapand each subsequent iteration, further breaking the flow of theanalytical thought process. Annotational information, when available, isprovided by going to a separate Web page or window; and thereby thematerial is not viewed smoothly, in direct association with the mapfeature.

Beyond layering software, another relevant computer technology ishypermedia. Hypermedia is the “linking” technology for instantlyretrieving text, images, or sounds. Its “smart” graphics respond tocommands such as mouse clicks to “hypertext” or to a “hot” symbol on thecomputer screen (often referred to as a button, object, icon, orimagemap).

From 1990 to 1993, the inventor developed a hypermedia map-makingsoftware program (“City View/Town View HyperMapping—making maps and maplibraries on your computer. A Journal of Demonstration Projects” andsoftware manual, self-published, by Barbara L. Barros, Boston 1994,incorporated herein by reference). This program provided an interactivetutorial and tool with which novice computer-users could make their ownmap libraries for a study of their neighborhoods, cities, or towns. Thesoftware program used the first widely available hypermedia softwaredevelopment tools; APPLE COMPUTER INC.'s two-layered HYPERCARD. On thebackground layer of the map-making software was a base map either drawnby the user or imported as a scan or GIS-generated bitmap graphic. Theuser rendered sets of information on separate top layers using paint(raster or bitmap) graphics, text fields, and buttons which could linkto new maps, paint layers, and text. The overlays were automaticallyindexed in a directory from which users could select layers to combineon a new, aggregated map. However, the layers were then fused together,so the map could not be used to aid a flowing analytical thoughtprocess.

The primary intent of the “City View/Town View” map-making software wasto enable civil servants and citizens to engage in exercises throughwhich they could improve their awareness of local planning issues andopportunities. The software had several significant limitations: (1) themap features were not objects and could not have data or scriptsattached to them, (2) map graphics could only be in black and whitewhich reduced legibility and appeal, (3) the software was dependent onAPPLE's MACINTOSH operating system having limited distribution, (4)users tended not to have or be able to afford base map data, and (5) thelarge amounts of graphic data generated could not be stored on mostpersonal computers or shared easily with others.

CD-ROMs and the World Wide Web are, at this time, the two predominantmeans of delivering hypermedia. For organizing and displaying material,these current hypermedia use GUI (graphical user-interface) formatswhich are derivative. They draw from a combination of print publicationequivalents, software document-creation conventions, and videopresentation methods.

CD-ROMs were the first major application of hypermedia because of thevast storage capability for graphics and sound. These files are linkedto create multi-dimensional games, training materials, and referencesources. Current reference CD-ROMS are organized to incrementally accessgraphic and text information on a single subject, but are not presentlydesigned to enable comparison and to enhance prolonged, dynamic visualanalysis.

The second major hypermedia application is the World Wide Web.Presently, the technology favors lengthy text over graphics, andgraphics are commonly used as small link buttons and illustrationsrather than as the core data set. While searchable GIS maps andecommerce shopping sites are growing to be among the popularimage-intensive applications on the Web, the quality of theirinteractivity and usefulness for visual analysis and comparison isextremely low. A complex quest is constrained by the slow speed of theWeb's current infrastructure and its standard presentation methods.

For example, the Web's current accepted practice of presenting materialis based on a page-to-page metaphor related to print magazines. Themagazine-like vertical layout requires the scrolling of the page toaccommodate the horizontal orientation of the computer screen. The pageis made up of magazine-like article, illustration, and ad components.The eye roams from component to component, viewing each separately. Textis often lengthy. To obtain additional information, hypertext, symbols,drop-down menus, or query forms are clicked to call up an entirely newWeb page. Often the new material is at a different Web site with adifferent format. The viewer attempts, with minimal success, to carry inthe mind's eye the sequence of information, links, and pages. The viewermust build a mental model of the findings of their inquiry, instead ofhaving this accomplished for them in the computer. It was thisunderstanding and recognition of the problems with the prior art systemthat formed the impetus for the present invention.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide an interactive dataflow and display system for viewing complex information in a simplifiedand intuitive process.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a method andsystem for studying and comparing visual representations of multipledata sets.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a computersystem for navigating through extensive databases of diverse multimediawherein information is presented on an interactive, keyed map or diagramdisplay in selectively complex layers optimized for user comprehensionvia computer- and/or user-selected image control paradigms.

It is yet another object of the present invention to augment thecurrent, page-to-page World Wide Web file display metaphor with adisplay logic governed by layering information densely in response tointeractive user commands.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide anetwork-based browsing scheme that provides common layering formats andlayout and navigation conventions for simplified orientation andoperation.

It is another object of the present invention to provide special controlapparatus for organizing complex information sets and for user-retrievalof selections as layered or slotted maps and diagrams.

It is another object of the present invention to provide annotationmechanisms to display text data and pop-up, interactive descriptionsabout map and diagram objects.

It is another object of the present invention to provide the ability toestablish standard or common database formats whereby content-providersand users can submit data for display and comparison with other data.The data may be entered on a traditional database interface or withediting tools on an interface showing the relevant map or diagram.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide aninteractive display system that is connected to a network so that remotedata sources may be accessed and displayed in a seamless manner.

It is another object of the present invention to provide aprogram-controlled computer system that is interconnected to a pluralityof remote data sources so that display data includes currentinformation.

The above and other objects of the present invention are realized in aprogram-controlled interactive data processor, such as a personalcomputer, connected to and in communication with a server and linked toa plurality of databases and associated software. These databases,either locally or remotely located, comprise a vast amount of diverseinformation on select topics. The personal computer includes localprogramming to control the layout of information displayed on the userdisplay. The display includes multiple, context-sensitive control panelsor palettes for manipulating the information (symbols, text, drawings,photographs, etc.) presented on the user display in accordance with aselection protocol. This protocol implements a data layering process,wherein information is formatted and displayed in response to usercontrol inputs and stored instructions, optimizing the display layout sothat information is quickly presented in a form that is readilycomprehended despite its complexity. Only information necessary forcurrent assessment is presented without superfluous data elements.Relevant information is thus presented in a seamless, streamlinedmanner.

In accordance with the varying features of the present invention, thecomputer system includes supplemental, back-end, and user-trackingdatabases. The back-end database continuously or periodically gathersand stores new and changeable information so that the displayedinformation is always current. The user-tracking database tracks userevents on the personal computer with the stored data used to returnproper map data, to collect and archive data for the user, to providedata to a user's intelligent agent, and to prepare interactive map anddiagram analysis reports on anonymous, aggregated user activitypatterns.

The foregoing features of the present invention may be better understoodby review of the following description of an illustrative examplethereof, taken in conjunction with the drawings of which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1A provides a functional block diagram of the system environmentfor the present invention;

FIG. 1B provides examples of alternative personal computer devices todisplay the present invention;

FIG. 2A provides an exploded presentation of the primary command anddata flow between the client and the server;

FIG. 2B provides an exploded presentation of the system components withan x, y, z coordinate slotting of the GUI (Graphical User Interface)presented and controlled by the present invention;

FIG. 2C provides an exploded presentation of the gridded slotting of theGUI associated with image processing of the present invention;

FIG. 2D provides an exploded presentation of an alternativeconfiguration of the components of the GUI in which special controlapparatus are inserted within a document to serve as the means of accessto data for the user to collect and view in the slots and layers of amap.

FIG. 3 provides three examples of the basic map layout and input/outputwithin the GUI (Graphical User Interface) for the present invention;

FIG. 4 provides a GUI/database operations diagram of the presentinvention;

FIG. 5 provides a logic flow diagram for the present invention;

FIGS. 6A-6B depict the components of the graphical user-interfaceassociated with the present invention;

FIGS. 6C-6E depict alternative presentations with the inventive system;

FIGS. 7A-7I depict a seamless stream of display screens for the presentinvention:

FIGS. 8A-h depict layered indexes and keys with key extenders andretrieval bars to organize and access a large information set;

FIGS. 9A-d provide examples of informational advertising integrated intothe present system including an interactive map-format user-activityreport;

FIGS. 10A-10B provide examples of a variety of map displays derived fromthe same database; and

FIG. 11 provides an example of a three-dimensional model as aninteractive map.

FIGS. 12A-12B provide examples of an alternative configuration of theGUI components of the present invention in which special controlapparatus are inserted within a document to serve as the means of accessto data for the user to collect and view in the slots and layers of amap.

FIGS. 12C-12F depict alternative presentations with the inventive systemfor the configuration illustrated in FIG. 12A and FIG. 12B.

FIGS. 13A-13B provide additional examples of graphical user interface(GUI) components in which both a document with special control apparatusand a set of symbol-list keys are the means of access to data for theuser; and the user collects and views representations of these data inthe slots and layers of several interrelated maps which may be ofdifferent forms such as a gridded chart, a graph, and a layered graphic.

FIG. 13C depicts an alternative presentation with the inventive systemfor the configuration illustrated in FIGS. 13A-13B.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

First, briefly in overview, the present invention is a computertechnology employing a next-generation computer interface, multi-mediadatabases, and a user-tracking system to dynamically build a customized,interactive mapset. It enables content-producers to offer material asstandard-formatted data that can be “picked up” by users as they browse.It enables the user to seamlessly follow a sustained, multi-faceted,analytical thought process by manipulating “map” components, layers, andannotations.

The graphic-information flow method and system uses layering andhypermedia technology to maximize the flow of information, insights, andideas during the process of inquiry. The invention provides an externalaid to enhance reflective cognition (“Things That Make Us Smart,” byDonald A. Norman, Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, 1993, incorporatedherein by reference as if restated in full). The present invention is atrue browsing device for smoothly pursuing a question, for analyzing,exploring, and discovering, for comparing variations, for studyingpatterns and relationships, and for reaching well-informed decisions.

The graphic-information flow method and system is designed to enablecontinuous, focused concentration so that the computer screen becomes anextension of the mind's eye. The present invention enables the user toseamlessly follow a sustained, multi-faceted, analytical thought processby manipulating “map” components, layers, and annotations. Just thediagram pertinent to the moment is viewed, free of distracting,irrelevant information.

Unlike expert and artificial-intelligence systems, here the human beingis the intelligent expert with the present invention serving to augmentthe human thought process. The users of the graphic-information flowmethod and system are active participants. They gain knowledge andunderstanding through the hands-on process of map-making. Userscustomize information sets by selecting layers and filling slots, thenby querying to refine them. Individual analysis is further supported byproviding marking tools to both stimulate and record insights.

The invention combines hypermedia and layering technologies. It enableslayers produced by graphics, drafting, and information systems to beorganized and formatted into easy-to-use frameworks. Non-technicalproducers can create multi-dimensional interactive documents and reportsfor wide distribution. The maps can be accessed by non-technicalaudiences either the general public or experts in a field of study.

The map-based, graphic-information flow method and system can be used tosignificantly improve the ability to study almost any complex subject.By representing a place, topic, or thing in a multi-dimensional map,previously-hard-to-recognize patterns and relationships can bediscovered. These would otherwise not be apparent by attempting to viewdirectly the place, topic, or thing or by more traditional analyticalmethods.

The method and system employs what is sometimes termed “cognitiveart”—visual representations that aid the comprehension of complexinformation sets. (“The Visual Display of Quantitative Information”1983, “Envisioning Information” 1990, and “Visual Explanations” 1997 byEdward R. Tufte, Graphics Press, Cheshire, Conn., incorporated herein byreference as if restated in full). The term “map” is most commonlyassociated with a flat, simplified representation of a landscape fromabove. A map can also be any visual portrayal of a geographic area orimaginary place including a cartographic, diagrammatic, photographic,perspective, or bird's-eye-view image or three-dimensional model. Aswell, a map can be a diagrammatic representation of a complex object(the human body, a vehicle, a building). A map can also graphicallyportray a topic for which a set of pictures or words are understood moreclearly in a series of subsets and in relationship to each other (anorganizational chart, a chemical sequence, or a set of scaled, colorimages of possible plants for the garden of different heights andflowering seasons).

In relation to the present invention, the important addition to any suchpicture chart, diagram, or graph that makes it a “map” is the provisionof interactive keys. These keys do more than merely define map symbols.The interactive keys enable the user to quickly switch between viewsshowing only selected subsets of interest at the moment.

The resulting ability to instantaneously customize views of informationsets supports a mapping process of:

-   -   1) setting out the significant features of a place, topic, or        thing,    -   2) defining the features' relevant attributes,    -   3) seeing what attributes various features have in common and        how they differ,    -   4) detecting how often or rarely features and attributes occur,        and in what patterns, and    -   5) noticing the significance of their real or symbolic proximity        to one another.

Understanding of the patterns and relationships often benefits fromannotations viewed temporarily in association with map features. In thepresent invention, text, charts, drawings, photographs, animations,sound, or video footage may be attached as annotations to map features.

The present invention combines a diagrammatic map with illustrativepop-ups. This dual-view design reflects the analytical mind's-eyeprocess of switching back and forth between the overview structuralimage of a subject and close-up, eye-level views or “vignettes” ofparticular features. To aid this mental process, two perspectives can beseen at once. First, the content of the overview is pulled apart andorganized into layers or matrices. Second, the descriptive feature viewis shown directly in association with the feature's place on theoverview.

The overview enables examination of numerous meta-representations of thewhole place, topic, or thing. By switching groups of features in thelayers or slots, the viewer can focus on studying patterns andrelationships within particular subsets of the whole.

Individual features can be examined “up close” via pop-up annotations.For the same reasons that sidebars, summaries, and sound-bytes areuseful and effective, the material in these descriptive close-ups isstripped to the essentials and consolidated into graphic representationsand short text. These annotations are accessed in digestible chunkswithin “pop-up, flip-thru storybooks.” The viewer studies anintroductory pop-up card, then can click to go forward or backward in aseries of flip-cards which further describe the map feature. In thestorybooks, short flip-card animations are used to economically createdramatic explanation. When animation and video is used in pop-ups, it isin the form of short clips. Animation and video is used not to purelyentertain. Its purpose is to clarify or explain the character andmulti-dimensional aspects of a place or object, product assemblyprocedures, or the pattern of a movement such as a rock-climbingmaneuver or a hurricane's path. Pop-up materials are concise in order toaugment and enlighten, but not distract from, the study of the mapoverview.

The graphic-information flow system is perceived as a set of “maps”—anatlas or a catalogue. Thereby the body of information attains thefeeling and credibility of a single reference object even thoughmaterials may be pulled dynamically from many sources. The inventionenables data from these numerous sources to be stored in a common formatso that, for each user, material is gathered during the browsing processinto a personalized mapset.

The present invention provides an online alternative to reference bookssuch as product catalogues, yellow pages directories, travel guidebooks,entertainment listings, encyclopedias, natural history guides, textbooks, machine manuals, and land-use planning reports. The presentinvention can also provide an online specialty store where consumers canask to see and compare all the available offerings for a particular itemfrom a multitude of manufacturers and distributors. As well, the presentinvention can be used to create an image-based library for comparingsimilar objects such as ceramic vases, volcano eruptions, colonialchurches, and butterflies.

With the graphic-information flow system, producers of information gainby being able to reach viewers more effectively than by current printand electronic methods. At this time, Internet producers put up aself-standing Web site which viewers must learn of and locate, usuallyvia a search engine, and then must browse through to find one piece ofinformation at a time. The present invention enables the creation ofdigital repositories with standardized formatting to aggregate data frommany sources. With the graphic-information flow method and system, thevalue of every piece of information is increased exponentially by beingeasily viewable in proximity with other related information. Viewers cancomparison shop for products, travel plans, and points-of-view.

Pop-up annotations augment without breaking the comparison process. Eachpop-up is a sidebar-like annotation to the body of information on themain viewing area of the map; therefore viewers are more likely to takea few moments to explore the descriptive material without fear ofgetting lost. The map remains the orientating device to come back to.Viewers feel in control and can digest the descriptive material at theirown pace. Pop-ups about geographic sites have added power because theyare seen and remembered in association with the site's location. Pop-upscan serve as an effective and useful advertising mechanism sought afterby prospective consumers. Unlike Web banner ads, viewers are actuallyasking to see the ads or “info-tizements” because they are associatedwith the topics the viewers are researching.

With the annotation and publishing tools, users of thegraphic-information flow method and system can define new features andattributes to contribute to a mapset and can post new layers and mapsetsonline to share with others. The graphic-information flow method andsystem is intended to take publishing beyond the single-source,broadcast model to the many-to-many model. At the same time it isintended to provide the ability for respected experts andinformation-integrators to create tangible, credible, “branded” hubsthat take responsibility for the quality of the content they makeavailable.

The graphic-information flow method and system for visually analyzingpatterns and relationships is a computerized reference map system forassembling and integrating a set of materials about a place, topic, orthing in order to enhance the flow of information during the process ofsearching for knowledge and insight. A database-derived “map” displaysrepresentations of a place or a set of objects to be compared. Thissingle, compact computer user-interface with layered indexes, keys, andcontent enables discrete sets of material from a dispersed network oflarge, multimedia databases to be accessed smoothly and repeatedly.

The method and system software uses layered and slotted maps withclickable map keys. The viewer manipulates “map” components, contentlayers, and annotations by clicking symbols. Clicking symbols on mapkeys and query boxes shows and hides graphic features with requestedattributes. The features are organized in map layers and slots. Clickingmap features shows and hides text messages and pop-up annotations aboutthe features. The viewer thereby easily studies features in context withother relevant graphic information. The invention provides for smoothlycalling forth a set of graphic data to inform and stimulate a sustained,multi-faceted, analytical thought process.

The software may be deployed as a stand alone application and onenterprise, intranet, and internet networks. It may be used intraditional personal computers and in future computer systems employingscreens that may be flat, wireless, and/or pressable or pen-responsive,that may be larger or smaller than current PC screens, and that may beas portable, thin, foldable or rollable as a paper map or chart (seeFIG. 1B).

The graphic-information flow method and system for visually analyzingpatterns and relationships is realized through computer software. Thepresent invention consists of template computer software for publishinga set of materials in a format that the user can smoothly browse. Thesoftware calls from a multimedia database to display a graphicaluser-interface (GUI) and alter it in response to user commands. The GUIhas a central layered or slotted map area surrounded by control panels.

The software employs “smart” graphics as symbols on maps and controlpanels. The graphics are “smart” in that they can be programmed torespond to user commands, calling to a database to cause an action.Users click control panel keys and query boxes to fill map layers andslots. Users point at and click “smart” graphics on the maps to callforth annotational text, images, sound, and video. Users at the back-endand front-end create, drag, reshape, reprogram, and otherwise change“smart” graphics with editing tools.

The graphic-information flow system software template consists of GUIs(graphical user-interfaces), multimedia databases, and the software forconfiguring and operating the maps. The GUI is designed to permitoperation on a variety of existing and future hardware devices; and thesoftware can be developed using commonly available software languages,database programs, and electronic information systems.

Software on the server and client performs a number of functions. Thetemplate software enables customization of the database features,attributes, symbols, annotations, and topic organization; of the GUIlayout; and of the animation and query configurations. GUI and databasetools are provided for initial mapset creation and subsequent editing byauthorized editors, dynamic databases, and public users. Softwarecomponents include map and database interfacing; dynamic generation ofgraphics, imagemaps, and code; and user-tracking and activity-reporting.Directory and query box formatting automatically turns text lists intoformatted top-layer graphics with retrieval bars and key extenders asnecessary. The software uses “smart” graphics to provide for interactivekeys and map features, map graphics layering and slotting, querying, andnotation and publishing tools. The software also accommodates signalingfrom input/output devices such as GPS and adaptation to future input,output, and selector devices.

Special control apparatus are used extensively throughout the system'sgraphical user-interfaces to retrieve layered indexes, keys, and mapcontent. These special control apparatus enhance the ease of browsingwhile accommodating the size and resolution limitations of the computerscreen. These preferred special control apparatus are designed toimprove operation, but are not required and do not preclude use of otherspecial control apparatus.

Five special control apparatus augment the index, key, and mapconfigurations. First, message boxes within the map area show updateabletext data. The message is typically: 1) the name and other tabular datafor a feature in response to the cursor pointing to the feature, or 2)data for a set of features which is updated dynamically astime-sensitive information is changed in the database. Small messageboxes also may appear as pop-up feature labels atop the map. Messageboxes may be used for the viewer to type text input. Second, retrievalbars are used for switching information in indexes, keys, message boxes,and pop-ups. Retrieval bars use graphical or alphabetical segments thatprovide an improved alternative to traditional scroll bars. Third, keyextenders revise control panel and message box content via overlays andpop-ups. Key extenders provide means for selecting additional featureattributes and for switching topics and sets of keys or message boxcontents. Keys are extended by clicking on topic titles or arrows.Fourth, query boxes, that may be in the form of key extenders or maparea pop-ups, provide means for selecting multiple attributes for acomplex query. A query is requested by clicking a button; and theresults are returned by updating the map area. Fifth are user editingand publishing tools along with interactive how-to guides and tutorialsthat take new usersthrough notation and publishing procedures.

Having the foregoing objects and functionality in mind, attention is nowdirected to a specific implementation of the invention. Referring now toFIG. 1A, the inventive system is first presented in functional blockdiagram form. Specifically, the system includes one or more workstationsor other personal computer devices 10 with both local programming 11 andcommunication 30 to a remote server 20. This server includes additionalprogramming 24 to assist operation and a central multimedia, relationaldatabase 21 and 22 containing a number of support databases stored inhigh capacity memory. Exemplar memory modules include Base memory 21 andTopical memory, 22. In this context, select mapping elements commonlyknown as Base elements will be stored in the Base memory module and theTopical elements in the Topical memory module. As database entries,these elements are available for high speed delivery to each of thepersonal computer devices, either sequentially or concurrently, via thenetwork link 30. A user-tracking memory module 23 stores data about eachuser's activity. To enhance this dynamic capability, the system includesan expanded link to the Internet or other network connections 50 so thatthe vast array of Internet or network source materials may be accessedand combined with the base and topical data of the central database andthus become available as information for mapping onto the selective twodimensional display. In addition to the role as a source for databaseinformation, the Internet and other network connections permits remoteprocess control of the database content, including access and editingfunctionality via the personal computer devices 10. FIG. 1B showsalternative personal computer devices such as (a) high-resolution,large-scale, flat map display, (b) large-scale, wall-mounted display,(c) wireless, portable map and remote server, (d) portable, flexible,roll-up, flat map display, (e) portable, fold-up, flat map display, and(f) map expands and contracts as display is stretched or folded.

Turning now to FIGS. 2A-2C, the system components are depicted inexploded view format. In these diagrams, arrows are used to indicatecommand and data flows. FIG. 2A depicts the primary command and dataflow between the client and the server. To permit the seamless customdata flow to the presentation, the system display includes a map area303 for imaging the map elements as recalled from the server 200. Tocontrol data selection and access, an interactive control panel with mapkeys 304 is displayed on a portion of screen real estate, withselections thereon governing the map area. When the User 301 causes auser-event such as a mouse click to the map or control panel, a sequenceof software commands occurs reflected by the arrow to the Client-sideSoftware 101. A browser program 101.1 parses the request and runs theclient agent software 101.2 which may consist of HTML, Javascript, CGI,Java, ActiveX and/or other code. The client agent software processes therequest and alters the map area image reflected by the arrow back to thedisplay. If a complex query, additional graphic files, or updatedinformation is required, the client agent sends a request to the serversoftware 102 and multimedia relational database 200 that may reside onthe client or across a network on another computer. This requesttriggers a sequence of events which gathers and assembles the graphicmaterial on the server and sends it back to the client for display.

Importantly for the invention and as is discussed in detail in FIGS. 2Band 2C, elements comprising separate layers are stored in addressabledatabases, including central server files and databases 200 (comprisingbase 202 and topical 203 data sets, graphics files 204, anduser-tracking database 404) wherein the grid depiction reflects datafields for each cell. The server software first uses a daemon 102.1 toreport to the user-tracking system 404 in order to record the event andto retrieve relevant information about the history and state of user'smap and any files on user preferences or from a user's intelligentagent. The server software then calls a database access daemon 102.2 toquery attributes as necessary and to look up in the databases 202, 203such information as feature name, symbol, x,y location, z-layer, andannotation display data. The server then uses the results to determinewhich graphic files 204 to retrieve, how to plot and layer them, and howto reconfigure the interactivity of the graphics such as imagemaps (theareas of the map which respond to user events). The resulting GIF andimagemap coordinates and scripts are sent back to the client fordisplay.

FIG. 2B represents the various system components. At the top, thetwo-dimensional information content of the display provided to the User301 is depicted in exploded view as layers forming display content withthe context of a geographic setting comprising elements such as rivers,streets, parks, etc. As can be seen, the layers are each characterizedwith select information that is of varying importance to the User. Thebase map elements are pulled from the base database 202 when the userfirst calls up the mapset. The User interactively turns additionallayers of map data on and off to provide a more complete but concisedata presentation via interactive control panel entries as describedabove in FIG. 2A. The topical database 203 provides content and displayinformation for “smart graphics” 309 on topical layers 306, text in themessage box 307, and pop-up annotations 308. The interactive “smartgraphics” 309 on the control panels, base, topical, and pop-up layersare associated with user-triggered scripts and data in the databaseswhich govern changes in the control panel and map area display inresponse to particular user input. Additional data is retrieveddynamically from secondary and third-party databases 504 at the back-end502 of the system, passing through a security device 505. Contentproviders and editors 501 can alter content via back-end interactive mapinterfaces 503 that send graphics files and data to back-end databasesand through security to the central server 200. The user-tracking system402 enables aggregated user-activity patterns collected in theuser-tracking database 404 to be viewed on a map interface 403 by systemoperators 401.

FIG. 2C depicts in exploded view a slotted-format display configurationin which base data is positioned in designated sub-areas of the maprather than via x,y coordinates as in FIG. 2B. This type ofslotted-format can be used for any chart layout. In the illustration, agridded base map 305 provides the containers for a set of “smartgraphic” objects 309 to be compared. Upon calling up the mapset, theviewer 301 may use the control panels 304 to query the database for aselection of objects that meet certain criteria. Once these aredisplayed in the map area 303, common features of the objects may beselected via the control panel key for layering or hiliting 306. Bypointing the cursor at a selected object or feature, the viewer requeststext data to be retrieved from the database and displayed in the messagebox 307. By clicking on an object or feature, the viewer requests apop-up annotation 306 about the object.

FIG. 2D depicts a slotted- and layered- format display configuration 302in an exploded view in which selected elements are collected in the maparea 303 of the viewable area and the control panel 304 includes basedata made visible in one or more computer documents. The map's basepresentation 305 and layout of layered map slots 309 may be a slottedgrid, as shown in FIG. 2D and in FIG. 2C, or it may be a layered map asshown in FIG. 2B, or in another chart or graphic layout. The map may bepositioned anywhere within the viewable area and may be hidden and shownas desired. In FIG. 2D, the control panel area 310 includes one or moredocuments 311 that provide the base information from which “smartgraphic” objects 312 (images or text with an ID and data attached) canbe collected to be compared or otherwise analyzed and to enable access,at a later date, of subset elements represented in the map by images,words, characters, and the like.

A user 301 uses special control apparatus 313 to signal (for instance byclicking or dragging or other suitable indication means) that a visualrepresentation of a portion of the control panel document should appearor be collected in the map slots 309 or subsequently removed from themap or altered within the map. These visual representations may bewords, symbols, or images or a combination of words, symbols, images,and the like. Once these representations are displayed in the map,additional control apparatus 306 within the map area 303 may be used toremove or reshow their display, change their appearance or associateddata, alter the look and/or content of the control panel document 311,and alter the look of “smart graphic” objects 312 and special controlapparatus 313 in the map and control panel 304. By pointing the cursorat a “smart graphic” object 312 in the map or control panel document, auser 301 requests text or graphic data to be retrieved from the databaseand displayed in the message box 307. By clicking on a “smart graphic”word set, symbol, or image 312 in the map or in the document, the userrequests a pop-up annotation 308 about that which is represented by theword set, symbol, image. Alternatively, clicking on a word set, symbol,or image in the map can call forth, in the control panel area 310,enlargements, information, text, and visual descriptions represented bythe word set, symbol, or image. A special control apparatus such as abutton 314 or the like may be used to show, in the control panel area310, graphics and/or text for all or a portion of the set of images andwords that have been collected in the map. Once collected, the objectmay be manipulated or removed, and the original document may beredisplayed.

As shown in FIG. 2D, such an application of the present inventionprovides a system for the collection of word sets, symbols, images, orother representations while undertaking research through many documents,reading a lengthy or complex document, or viewing another slotted andlayered map. The collected word sets, symbols, or images remind thereader of previously viewed content. These representations may berearranged and have their look changed within the map to categorize,compare, study patterns and relationships, or otherwise analyze data ormake decisions about the data represented by the collected word sets,symbols, or images. A word set, symbol, or image in the map may beclicked or otherwise manipulated by the user or by additional softwareto have data related to it shown in the control panel area. Specialcontrol apparatus can be used to display data related to all thecollected word sets, symbols, or images, or subsets of the collectedword sets, symbols, or images in the control panel area. Thereby, thedocument serves as a key, the user-controlled means of access tocomputer data that may be collected in map slots and layers.

The graphic information flow system can display images representing anyplace, topic, or thing. Three types of map layout within GUIs (GraphicalUser Interfaces) are shown in FIG. 3. The layered map, 3 a is used forsets of features with relative spatial locations that can be positionedby x, y coordinates. The slotted map has sets of discrete featurespositioned in a grid for comparison, 3 b or in a chart with slots placedto represent features' relationships, 3 c. Each layout starts with abase map and a control panel, 601. The user clicks the key to select onetopic for display, 602. Also illustrated in 602, the user may point at afeature on the map to view text data in the message box. To comparefeatures, the user selects from the key another topic or attributesubset for display and comparison, 603; this may be repeated to show andcompare other topics; clicking the key topic a second time deletes thatfeature from the display. In 604, the user clicks on a map feature toview a pop-up annotation. The interactive pop-up appears in an area awayfrom, but near the feature which is now hilited.

FIG. 4 shows the basic GUI/database operations that the database callsas a result of the GUI Input/Output sequences of FIG. 3. The TopicalDatabase, 203 at the center of the drawing stores a set of feature andattribute data and is updated dynamically from the back-end interfaces,503 and back-end databases, 504 at the top left of the drawing. As Usersinteract with the system, activity data is recorded and stored inuser-tracking system, 404 and available for User activity reports, 403.

At the bottom of the drawing, a series of GUIs as seen above in FIG. 3 care shown. The broken lines indicate command sequences from the GUI toaccess the data via key “mouse” selection from the Topical Database,203. In operation 601, the User “click” to topic “AA” on the controlpanel key, 612 alters the map display, 611 and displays that topic.Specifically, the system retrieves the source data from the topicaldatabase, 203 and determines the symbol, pattern, and color for “AA”attribute, 210. Thereafter, the system provides the slots or layerscorresponding to the “AA” attribute, as indicated by the “X”s in thecolumn headed by the “AA” designation, 214. All corresponding data itemswith the “AA” attribute, 214 are then placed on the Map area, 611.

In operation 602 of FIG. 4, the user points to one feature on the map toview text data about the feature. The software determines the slot orcoordinate of the cursor and finds the slot designation or x, ycoordinate in column 211 of the database, 203. The software retrievesthe name from column 212 and text description of the feature from column213. It displays this text data in the message box, 614 and/or the namein the label, 613, positioning the label near the feature.

In operation 603 of FIG. 4, another feature, “DD”, is selected and thisis used to find corresponding entries from the topical database, 203, asindicated by the “X”s in the column under the “DD” attribute. Thesefeatures are then presented on the screen, available for User review.

In operation 604, a click on a feature, 615, causes the display of aninteractive pop-up annotation, 616. When the pop-up appears, the featureon the map that was clicked is hilited to retain the connection betweenthe annotation and the feature. The configuration of the pop-up, 305 isdetermined by the data in columns 216 and 217, informing the software asto which graphics, text, and sound to retrieve from the file, 218. Thepop-up itself may be interactive with mouse clicks triggeringanimations, 605, or causing new pop-up cards to be displayed, 606.

In order to call forth another mapset, the user clicks an index or acontext map or diagram, 607. The context control, 617 shows the presentlocation of the current map in the mapset. Clicking its hilited areascalls up the master directory or switches to other maps. The other mapsmay be another representation of the same data or a related informationset.

The initialization of the program, navigation to the desired mapset, andmanipulation of the interactive map are depicted generally in theflowchart of FIG. 5 and begins with the start up, 100 when the Userclicks on the program icon to enter the system. The resulting actionsinclude the recording of a User ID in the user-tracking system, 190 andthe system calling up the program from a CPU, CD-ROM, network orinternet server. The start-up screen is displayed with a base map or adirectory of available mapsets. A directory may have a text or graphictable of contents or index; or it may be a single graphic representationof the contents such as a world map or other overview image, or acombination of the two. The how-to event, 101 is optional and may beaccessed at any point. It involves the User clicking on a “how-to”button. The program calls up a screen or animated overlay withinformation about how to use the program. This is preferably a shortanimated sequence on top of a view of the directory (if applicable) oron top of a view of a base map. In the directory or base map key, Usersmay be given a choice of written languages which is noted as a variableand referenced whenever words are displayed.

If the software includes a directory, the User may click, 102 on adirectory extender control apparatus. The directory will then berevised. The program will call up additional subdirectory text or zoomin on a world map or overview image. This process is repeated until thedesired mapset is identified by title or image. The selection of thedesired mapset is accomplished via event, 110 in which the User clickson a mapset title or image. The program displays a base map for a mapsetof a place, topic, or thing. The selected mapset is recorded in theuser-tracking system, 190 and subsequent user-events are also recorded,191-194.

Once the base map is displayed, the User will use the control panel keyto select the first topic set for display on the base map. The User mayfirst need to click on the key extender, 120 to revise the key in orderto view the desired feature-set. The User clicks on a key symbol, 121,and the feature-set is displayed on the map. To accomplish this, theprogram searches in the database and recognizes the feature-set (layer)associated with the x,y coordinate of the mouse click (see FIG. 4,Operation 601). The program finds the column in the topical database forthe requested feature-set. If part of the database is designated forsymbols or a symbol is associated with the topic column, the programnotes the symbol designated to represent the topic and finds rows withthat column checked (see FIG. 4, 210). If part of the database isdesignated for images or “image” is associated with the topic column,the program notes which rows have an image. For each checked row, theprogram retrieves the symbol or image from the graphics file or cachedimages on the client and displays it at the designated x, y coordinateor in the designated slot, replacing the graphic of the base map.

If the symbol is not a rectangle, the program determines its shape. Theshape may be a set of points for a line or polygon or a bitmap graphicwith a mask. The program alters the map only for the area within thesymbol. If the symbol (typically a shape or polygonal area) isdesignated as transparent, the program calculates the alteration of theunderlying map colors within the area. For gridded slots each showingimages of similar objects for comparison, the appropriate feature of theobject is hilited. For layers or slots, a hilite may be an outline orfilled shape; it may be opaque or a transparent tone altering the colorof the underlying image.

If the User clicks on the same key symbol, 122, the feature-set isdeleted on the map. The program repeats the actions of 121, but deletesthe symbol or images by displaying the appropriate portion of the basemap image (stored in the user-tracking database) in its place. If theUser clicks on a symbol or label in a query box or enters text in aquery box, 130, the feature-set is displayed on the map by anothermeans, as follows. The program repeats the actions of 121, but searchesfor multiple columns to be checked or searches for text matches in acolumn. It displays a symbol, image, or hilite at the designated x, ycoordinates or in the designated slot, replacing the graphic of the basemap.

The User then will click another key symbol or query, 140 adding a newfeature-set to the map. The program repeats the actions of 121, but doesso in comparison with other symbols, images, or hilites currentlydisplayed (see FIG. 4, Operation 603). If two symbols have the samecoordinates or overlap, the program uses an algorithm to adjust theplacement of the symbols so that all or part of both are visible, anddetermines which should be displayed on top of the other. If the topicsuse patterns colors, or hilites as symbols, the program determines athird, combined pattern color, or hilite to signify its representationof two attributes or for the overlap. For an “and” query, the programwill hide previously visible symbols for features that do not have allthe attributes. This action may be repeated to add other symbols; andkeys for visible features may be clicked to hide their symbols.

Two means of viewing annotational material about map features arepossible. First, if the User points with the cursor (mouseOver) at afeature (symbol) on the map, 150, a message and label may be displayed(see FIG. 4, Operation 602). The program searches in the database andrecognizes the feature associated with the x,y coordinate of the mouselocation. If there is a message box on the map, the program displaystext from the database in the message box of the map. If labeling isbeing used, the program reads the name for the feature from the namefield. It calculates the size of the label based on the number ofcharacters and the width of the font being used to size the label. Itdisplays a label with the name next to the map symbol or in the slot thelabel may have a line that connects the symbol to the label set at adistance to allow viewing of the area surrounding the symbol. A defaultlocation in relationship to the map symbol or slot determines itspositioning. If the label would go outside of the map area or is toolong for the slot, the program shifts it to an acceptable position. Whenthe User moves the cursor away from the symbol (mouseOut) or clicks thesymbol, the label is hidden, but the message box information may remain.

Second, if the User clicks on a map symbol, 151, the program displays ahilite around the map symbol and a pop-up is displayed. The programsearches in the database and recognizes the feature associated with thex, y coordinate of the mouse click (see FIG. 4, 604). If the row haspop-up annotations, the map symbol is hilited and the first pop-up cardis assembled as described in the database (see FIG. 4, 305). The programcalculates the quadrant or portion of the map within which the x, ycoordinates of the map symbol are located. It then determines anotherappropriate quadrant or portion of the map over which the program willdisplay the pop-up. It then replaces that quadrant or portion with animage that combines the shadowed pop-up edged by the visible map graphicsurrounding the pop-up.

The pop-up itself may be interactive. If the User clicks on a pop-up hotspot (a button, object, icon, or imagemap), 152, the pop-up is altered(see FIG. 4, 605). The pop-up displays additional information includinglinks to other graphic and text data, animations, and sounds based oninformation in the database (see FIG. 4, 216, 217). If the User clickson a pop-up corner, 153, the pop-up changes to a new card. The programretrieves the next or previous pop-up card based on information in thedatabase (see FIG. 4, 606). For written languages that read from left toright, clicking on the right corner calls the next pop-up card, andclicking on the left corner displays the previous card. This may bereversed for languages that read from right to left. Forward and backarrow symbols may be placed on the corners.

If the User clicks on a symbol or map while the pop-up is showing, 154,the pop-up is hidden. The hilite of the map symbol is deleted and theoriginal map replaces the pop-up in the quadrant or portion of the map.Clicking a key symbol also hides the pop-up before altering the mapdisplay. The program may be set up so that clicking on another visiblemap symbol will simply replace the contents of the pop-up and repositionit if appropriate.

If the User clicks on a notation tool for text, lines, or shapes in thecontrol panel, 160 optional, the cursor changes to the I-beam (for text)or a cross (for a line or a shape). The User presses on the map andtypes or drags. Upon release, text, line, or shape notations are made ontop of the map and recorded in the user-tracking system. The notationlayer symbol is hilited on the key (additional notation layers may beprovided). When the User clicks on a key symbol for the notation layer,the notations are hidden or shown.

User-editing, 170, is optional for public users; this is the processwhereby authorized Editors add information via a password-protectedback-end interface (see FIG. 4, 503). When an Editor or User clicks on asymbol tool in the control panel or in an edit or tools menu, a newsymbol is created. A copy of the selected symbol is positioned on anappropriate place on the control panel or map. The new symbol is hiddenand shown several times to call attention to it. When the Editor/Userpresses on the new symbol and drags to a position on the map, the symbolis moved. The symbol is repeatedly repositioned to the x, y coordinateof the cursor. If the cursor moves beyond the map boundaries, the symbolstays at the edge of the map. When the Editor/User releases, a row isadded to a database with the symbol, an ID number, and its x, ycoordinates.

Authorized Editors' changes are entered in the base map or topicaldatabases, as appropriate. For public users, the row is added to theuser-tracking system database within a user-added layer associated withthe User ID. A data entry dialog box appears in which the Editor entersname, message information, and pop-up data; this is optional for publicusers. When the Editor/User enters a name and other data and clicks“OK”, the data entry dialog box disappears. The name and data areentered into the database row of the new symbol and then are called upwhen the User clicks a new symbol, 150, 151, 152. If the Editor/Userdoes not press a new symbol or clicks “cancel” in the data entry dialogbox, an alert message appears asking the User if they want to delete thesymbol. If the User clicks “yes” or “cancel”, the alert dialog boxdisappears and the new symbol is deleted. If “no”, the data entry dialogbox reappears. If the Editor/User clicks the delete-symbol tool andclicks on a user-added map symbol, a symbol is deleted from the map andthe row is deleted from the database. An “Are you sure?” dialog mayappear before doing so and the User may thereby cancel the deletion.

Editing may also be done via a database interface. If the Editor/Userclicks on “view database” in the control panel or in the edit or toolsmenu, the appropriate portion of the database appears in the map area.Any fields that may not be edited are grayed. The Editor/User may addrows and enter text in the database. The Editor/User may toggle betweenthe database interface and the revised map to view and modify changes.

Users may save, print, and publish their mapsets, 180. When the Userclicks on the “save” button or menu, the mapset is saved. When the Userclicks on the “print” button or menu, the mapset is printed. When theUser clicks on the “publish” button or menu, the mapset is publishedonline.

EXAMPLES

An exemplar GUI (Graphical User-Interface) layout and its componentsshown in FIG. 6A is designed to organize information from an extensive,complex data set. The special control apparatus maximize ease inretrieving subsets from the database. The navigation to the desired mapcan be accomplished via an optional index, 1-4, on the left by clickingon bar segments and list items. Retrieval Bar, 1, for switchingcategories of mapsets and Retrieval Bar, 2, for switching subcategoriesof mapsets call forth clickable lists of mapsets, 3, within the selectedcategory and subcategory. The example shows a list organized inalphabetical order. Retrieval Bar, 4, is used for calling forthadditional list information. The hilited segment designates the portionof the list that is displayed; clicking another letter calls up theportion of the list starting with that letter. Clicking on a map name inthe list brings its base map into the Map Area. Orientation andnavigation within a set of maps is accomplished via the Context Map, 5in lower right, which shows the location of the present map within thenext higher level map. Clicking outside its toned area, calls forth thenext higher level map (zoom-out). Zoom-in capabilities, 5 a, areprovided via a key-accessed layer showing clickable zoom-in areas on themain map. Clicking on the “Home” icon, 6 upper right, retrieves thetop-level map of the mapset.

Upon retrieving the desired mapset with its basemap visible in the MapArea, the user may click on the Topic Selector, 7, to retrieve site orobject information for a particular topic in several ways. Clicking theunderlined topic name will replace the base key with a topic-relatedkey. Clicking on the box to the left of the topic name will call forth aquery box in the key or as a pop-up (see FIG. 6B). Clicking on the downarrowhead will replace the topic list with a list of subtopics. Theretrieval bar above the list shows the number of levels of topics andsubtopics including and above the current subtopics list; clicking asegment will return to the higher-level topics list. Clickable keys areused to show and hide overlays to the basemap in the Map Area. The key,8, shows a set of symbols; when a symbol is clicked, the software callsto the database to show all that type of site or object positionedproperly on the map. Keys for additional types of site or object areaccessed by clicking on the “next” and “back” arrowheads at upper rightof key, as shown in FIG. 8A.

The central Map Area displays the content as sets of map symbols. Mapsymbols, 9, for sites and objects with information in the database are“hot.” Pointing at a symbol will call forth into the message box, 10,the site/object's name and descriptive material. The message box is alsoused as a title bar to display the mapset title and subcategory title,as shown in FIG. 10A. Clicking on a map symbol will cause it to becomehilited and a pop-up, 1, to appear in a part of the map other than thatin which the symbol is located. The pop-up has interactive, annotationalmaterial about the site or object. The material in the pop-up may bepresented on multiple cards that are retrieved via the segmentedretrieval bar, 12, at the bottom of the pop-up. Special theme keys, 13,may be provided below the map. Sponsor name and message, 14, may alsoappear in this belowbar. Publisher, editor, and access to use,restrictions, and other reference information, 15, may be located in thekey or belowbar.

FIG. 6B shows a pop-up query box. The retrieval bar, 1, is clicked tocall forth lists of attributes. The attribute list, 2, is clicked toselect attributes which appear in the selections list, 3. Clicking the“plot” button, 4, causes the query box to disappear, the requested queryto occur, and symbols representing sites or objects that have theselected attributes to appear in the map area.

FIG. 6C shows an embodiment of the GUI layout with each of thecomponents diagrammed in FIG. 6A. FIG. 6D shows another embodiment ofthe GUI layout within a World Wide Web browser. The user has undertakena search for a selection of hotels by clicking the box to the left ofthe topic “Lodging” and thereby called up the “Lodging” query box forselection of query criteria, as shown in FIG. 6E. A list of applicablehotels with a retrieval bar then appeared in the key area; this list maybe clicked to have a particular hotel hilited on the map. The User hasalso clicked the key and special theme selector in FIG. 6D to viewsubway stops, trolley-boat tours, and scenic views. The user has thenclicked on a hotel symbol on the map to view annotational material inthe message box and pop-up, as shown in FIG. 6D.

In FIGS. 7A-7G an example is provided depicting the use of the presentsystem for assessing sophisticated geographic information. The seriesillustrates how a vast amount of information can be organized within asingle, small screen and how its layered data can be retrieved by meansof exemplar special control apparatus. The sequence begins with a userbrowsing a series of interconnected, geographic maps. Beginning withscreen display, FIG. 7A, a base map of the world is provided in atwo-dimensional presentation. This interactive, layered map can beeasily reconfigured by the user. In this display, the control panelincludes the following topics specific to the first base map:

1. Current Events

2. Environment

3. People of the World

4. History/Geography

5. Metro Areas/Cities

6. Travel Planning

In this example, the User has selected the “Current Events” topic in thecontrol panel, resulting in a second key of subtopics:

1. Time/Sun-Shadow

2. Weather

3. Geography & News

a. Government

b. Science/Nature

c. Business

d. People

The user wishes to view the time in different cities of the world,weather, and news. As new data are called for, the system pulls fromthird-party databases and public information Web sites; and itdynamically refreshes the display with the most current entries.Pointing at a “hot news” symbol has called forth a headline in themessage box; clicking it would call forth an interactive map of the newssite in place of the world map. Further maps on weather as well asgeographic information on news stories can be called up by clicking onthe Current Events key. In FIG. 7B, the user changes the cities on theclock and map by clicking on a city name to call forth an overlayselector-list. The viewer selects a new city by clicking “Athens” on thelist; the city circle moves to the position of Athens and the name andtime of Athens replaces those of the previous city from that portion ofthe world map. Clicking the clock name again hides the selector-list.

The interactive world map is also used as a directory to an extensivemap atlas. The world map can be clicked to zoom into regional mapsets;or the index listing the map locations (to left of map) can be used (seeFIG. 6A, 1-4). The index can be clicked to show other world maps; theretrieval bar at its top can call up lists of continent, country, state,and region maps. In this scenario, the user clicks “Travel Planning” onthe topic index (to right of map) and the related key appears below,shown in FIG. 7C. The user then clicks “Travel Packages” in this key.FIG. 7D shows that a new control panel has now replaced the key (it canbe hidden by clicking the topic selector “Travel Planning”). The > and <arrowheads in the key can be clicked to flip forward and backward toview additional travel packages. The user has selected a city of originand a week by clicking on the up and down arrowheads. Symbols thenappeared on the world map showing available trips. Pointing at theHawaii map symbol has caused descriptive information to appear in themessage box and belowbar (below the map). Clicking on the belowbar >arrowhead would call forth data on additional packages. Clicking on“View” would place interactive descriptive maps, images, and text on topof the world map; clicking “View” again would hide the description.Clicking on a continent name below the map would call forth a continentmap showing travel packages.

The user now clicks on Hawaii on the world map or the index of FIG. 7D.Note that an alphabetical retrieval bar can be used on the bottom of thelocation index (at left) to scroll through the list. The user hasproceeded from a full map of the islands to a map of the Big Island ofHawaii, FIG. 7E by clicking on the context map at lower right. Clickingon the Beach symbol on the key has caused symbols for beaches to appearon the map. Clicking on the belowbar special theme selector has calledforth an overlay showing the area covered by rainforest. Pointing at anatural-features symbol (for Akaka Falls) on the map causes its name toappear in the message box; clicking the map symbol pops up adescription. The pop-up itself has several interactive features.Clicking the speaker symbol on the pop-up would run an audio/video clipof the waterfall in place of the photograph. Clicking on plant nameswould cause an image of the plant to appear in place of the waterfall.The retrieval bar at the bottom of the pop-up shows that there are fourcards in the pop-up with the first showing; clicking other segmentswould call forth other interactive cards about the subject.

In FIG. 7F the user has clicked to zoom into a nature reserve andintersects with the mapset and database of the naturalists studying thearea. The visitor can get a picture of what the hiking trails are likeand learn about the ecosystems. The scientists create and study theinteractive maps to discern relationships between various elements ofthe environment. In the example, a biologist compares overlays showingthe location of plants and animals to study how they coexist. Thebiologist has selected specific insects and plants for display via thecategories at the top of the key. He has chosen to view only theterritory of one insect and one plant to study their interrelationshipand their relationship to the general land form. Numerous other layerscan be shown and hidden quickly via the key. In this way, only the setof material of interest at the moment is viewed, without distraction ofirrelevant information. The biologist has clicked on the “Plant Species”key box to access the database. The query box has appeared and is beingused to identify and map other species having certain criteria. Thecharacteristics are clicked on the list at the left of the query box andthey appear as selections at right. The retrieval bar at the bottom leftof the query box calls forth other choices. Once all criteria areselected, clicking on the “plot query” button maps species that meet thecriteria. A clickable list appears in place of the key, FIG. 7G; thelist can be hidden and recalled by clicking on the “Plant Species” keylabel.

The results of the plant species query may also be viewed in a slottedmap by clicking on the “Grid” or “Graph” selectors in the key, as shownin FIGS. 7G and 7H, shows a comparable display for a selection ofinsects. This type of slotted map serves as a catalogue for viewing andcomparing objects side by side. The interactive key enables furtherqueries and the showing and hiding of features. The hilite capabilitycan call out a particular common feature on each image (e.g., thethorax, the wing's subcosta vein) and may gray the rest of the image.The material in the slots may be layered to show cross-sections ofthings such as an insect's internal anatomy. An interactive pop-up,flip-thru storybook provides descriptive material about each object;note the subject-headed retrieval bar. The biologist views images ofplants and insects collected in the study area along with those thathave been archived. The biologist can also access via the internet otherresearchers' information on similar species from islands around theworld. Over the years, a database is compiled from field investigations.Weather data is collected and updated dynamically from field stations.The scientists have used the back-end interface to add their researchdata via both a database interface and a map interface. The biologistviews a chart of weather data, FIG. 7I, onto which can be layered timeperiods related to biological processes. He looks for cause and effectby studying the hatching of an insect, the blooming of a flower, and thepatterns of sunny, rainy, and foggy days via the species key below andthe pattern analysis key at right.

FIGS. 8A-8H show the use of layered indexes and keys with key extendersand retrieval bars to organize and access a large information set. FIG.8A shows a sidebar panel with topics list and a symbol key. The >arrowhead on the key for FIG. 8A can be clicked to retrieve the key inFIG. 8B whose > arrowhead can access further keys and go back to thefirst key. If “Environment” is clicked on the topics list of FIG. 8A orFIG. 8B, the subtopics list of FIG. 8C appears. If the down arrow to theright of “Animal Species” is clicked on this list, subtopics list FIG.8D appears. If the down arrow to the right of “Birds” is clicked on thislist, subtopics list shown in FIG. 8E appears. The retrieval bars at thetop of the subtopics lists indicate how many levels down the currentsubtopic list is; the bars can be clicked to move back up the hierarchyof lists. Clicking on the underlined subtopic titles in a list will showand hide its special key as shown in FIG. 8F and FIG. 8G. The retrievalbar at the bottom of the key in FIG. 8G and FIG. 8H alphabeticallyretrieves features. The retrieval bar switches features lists by othermeans, in this case by Common or Latin name, by month of the sightings,and by showing either the Full Listing of features or those from any oneof three queries.

FIGS. 9A-9D show examples of informational advertising integrated intothe present system. In FIG. 9A, a pop-up flip-thru storybook appearswhen the viewer clicks a “Lodging” symbol on the map; clicking on thepop-up's index replaces the pop-up with new cards as shown below. Inanother form of integrated advertising, FIG. 9B, the belowbar containsthe key for a special theme, “Walking Sydney,” while providing a“brought-to-you-by” message of the walking shoe sponsor and a link torelated product information and online ordering. Here the viewer hasclicked on the sponsor's message and a map has appeared showingavailable walking shoes appropriate to a set of sites. In FIG. 9C, aslotting system is used in an online catalogue to present for comparisona category of products from many producers. In this case, when theviewer called forth the “Birds” subtopics under the “Environment” topic,a binocular distributor's special theme selector and message appeared;then when the word “info” was clicked, a slotted map of binocularsappeared. Clicking a slot calls up an informational pop-up. FIG. 9Dshows an interactive map-format report that plots information aboutviewers of ads that sponsored the world map illustrated in FIG. 7A. Whena user entered the map atlas site, an id number was assigned to returnthe proper map layers; this system is also useful as a market analysistool. The user-tracking system records anonymous user-activity that canbe configured as such an interactive map-based report.

FIGS. 10A and 10B show a variety of map displays derived from the samedatabase. The components of the graphical user-interface of the presentinvention are depicted as active regions on the screen of a User'sworkstation, 1. In this context, the system provides frame components,including Map area (a), message box and pop-up label (b1 & b2), rightcontrol panel (c), bottom control panel (d), left control panel (e),corner control panel (f), and finally the pop-up storybook (g). Aportion of a topical database is illustrated in 3; five examples of mapscreated from this same database are illustrated in 4-8: exemplary use ofthe framework components are provided in the slotted map (4), layeredmap (5), slotted and layered graph map (6), gridded matrix and use ofpop-up storybook (7), and layered and slotted map with use of pop-upquery box (8) for selective display of information relating togardening. FIG. 11 shows an example of a three-dimensional model thatcan be rotated. With the addition of a topics list and key, it becomes a“map” and has feature and attribute data that can be shown and hidden,hilited, queried, and annotated.

FIGS. 12A-12F show a second exemplar GUI (Graphical User-Interface)layout and its components that are designed to aid users in collecting,organizing, and studying information while viewing and manipulating oneor more documents. With the present invention, the document's functionand usefulness are expanded to serve as the map's control panel or key.The control panel with the document depicted in FIG. 12A 1A is in aportion of the display while the map area shown in FIG. 12 A 1B is inanother portion of the display. The document in the control panel mayhave an index or directory, as described in FIG. 6 1-4 for retrievingdifferent documents for display. As well, the map may have an index asdescribed in FIG. 6 5-8. The slotted and layered map is used to holdsymbols that represent portions of content from the documents as theuser searches or studies the documents. The document in the controlpanel has special control apparatus and “smart graphics” that make thedocument a variation on a clickable key. As with a layered, symbol-listkey illustrated in FIGS. 2-4 and FIGS. 6-11, by using special controlapparatus inserted into the document, the user requests “smart graphics”with data attached to fill slots and layers of the map area.

In FIG. 12A, the user signals the request to collect a symbolicrepresentation of a portion of the document's content by clicking acheckmark button 4 b, dragging an image 1 or text 2 up to the map area12, or by some other method. The symbol then appears in a layer or slot5 in the map; and the system alters the look of associated graphics suchas hilites, checkmarks 6 in the map area 12 and checkmark 4 in thecontrol panel area 1200, and labels in the map area 12 and the controlpanel area 1200. The user can then study, rearrange, and change the lookof the collected symbols to aid the analytical thought process and gaininsights regarding patterns and relationships of the representedcontent. Because the map contains “smart graphics” carrying data aboutthe collected items, the user can request, for instance by clicking on asymbol or on a button, to have related data displayed in the controlpanel area 1200 in place of the existing document. These data may bepreviously viewed content, representations of the collected content, analtered formatting of the content in the document, or a layered andslotted map. The special control apparatus such as checkmarks 4, 4 a, 4b and buttons in the control panel area 1200 and map area 12 maximizethe ease and flow of collecting and altering map symbols and then inaltering the content or look of the control panel area and its document.

The collected image and text symbols may be organized in a set of slots5 in the map area 12 as shown or in another slotted and layered layout.These “smart graphic” symbols carry data about the content theyrepresent. They may be “hot” in that user actions towards them usingdevices such as a cursor, keyboard, or touch screen will trigger achange in the display. Pointing at a smart graphic symbol may call forthinto the message box 7 a name, title, or other descriptive materialassociated with the content represented. Clicking on a map symbol maybring forth additional information by one of several means. Clicking maycause a slotted and layered pop-up to appear as described in conjunctionwith FIG. 6A, and with FIGS. 11-12. It may also cause a smaller, movabledocument to appear in front of the control panel area, or cause a changeof content and/or look in the control panel area 1200 document. Pressingon different keys in the keyboard or some other user-input apparatus maybe used to switch between these different means of accessingannotational data in varying formats.

The “smart graphics” symbols can inform an intelligent agent to bringmore data like those data previously collected in the map into thecontrol panel area or otherwise transform the content and/or look of thedocument in the control panel area based on what has been collected. Theintelligent agent may also employ fuzzy logic to bring similar data intothe control panel area if the data does not strictly match thepreviously-collected data. The degree of matching may be set by theuser, by software, or by other suitable means.

Due to the unique identifier (ID) and data attached to or associatedwith the symbols, the user may explicitly request the display in thecontrol panel area of a set of data represented by the symbolscollected. For example, to collect a set of representations to beisolated for study as shown in FIG. 12A, the document in the controlpanel area 1200 consists of a number of pages accessed by a documentpaging system 9. In this example, each page contains several items; eachitem may have its own image 1, name 2, and description 3. A “Save in MyCollection” checkmark 4 is included for each item, thereby turning thedocument into a control panel or key. This checkmark 4 is a “smartgraphic” in that it has data attached relating to the item, for instanceits database ID and categories, its name, price, and other descriptivedata along with the path and name of its image and link to its productpage. When the checkmark 4 is created as the page is drawn or when thecheckmark 4 is clicked, this data is inserted into a database for use bythe system of the present invention.

In the process of viewing each page of the document, the user haschecked “Save in My Collection” checkmark 4 associated with contentitems in the document on three different pages. Each of these useractions has filled a slot 5 in the map with a “smart graphic” symbolrepresenting the content (image, name, and description) for each item.The symbol may be the item's name, its image, a smaller version of itsimage, or another representation. The user can drag symbols betweenslots to rearrange them as part of the analytical thought process. Toremove an item from the collection, the user can uncheck a hilitedcheckmark, for example, “collected” checkmark 4 a or “Page 4 Item 5”checkmark 6, or another button or label. Alternatively, a symbol for aremoval area (such as a trash bin) may be provided into which the usercan drag the item to clear it from the collection. Instead of completelydeleting a collected item, unchecking it can cause the system to place alayer with a white or colored screen 8 above the image or text in theslot. By “greying out” the symbol or diminishing its clarity in someother way, the symbol remains in view in case the user changes theirmind; then they can click the “put back in collection” checkmark 4 b orre-select checkmark 6 a again to fully reinstate the symbol in thecollection. When all the collection slots are filled, new items to becollected can be inserted into the greyed out slots. Limiting the numberof slots available for collecting items can cause the user to hone theirsearch by having to make choices in a process of elimination.Alternatively, the impression of having extra spaces to save items canbe provided by using clickable arrows or another method to bringadditional items into the slots to give the sense of scrolling through aset of items longer than the number of slots. As another alternative,additional slots may appear when the slots initially provided are filledor the map area may be enlarged to show additional slots.

Referring also to FIG. 12A and FIG. 12B, a shopper may wish to view anenlargement of an item's image 1 or additional text or images relatingto the item. On a typical World Wide Web site, a shopper expects toclick the image 1, its name 2, or a similar button to go to a productpage with more in-depth descriptions and access to an ordering system.In this environment, a product page would replace the document in thecontrol panel area 1200, so that the map showing collected items isstill in view for reference. From the product page, an item may becollected in or removed from the map, for instance via a checkmarkinserted into the product page.

By a means such as clicking the “Show My Collection in 1 Page” button 10in the map area 12 or control panel 1200, the user can request thecontrol panel area 1200 to be filled with the image, name, anddescription of each of the collected items, as depicted in FIG. 12B.Thereby, the user can further study the patterns and relationships ofthe collected items to gain insights and make choices while viewing allof the items together and without the distraction of other information.The control panel document can be a slotted and layered map, enablingthe user to drag symbols between slots to rearrange them and remove orgrey out items as part of the analytical thought process.

Multiple map collections may be created by a user and interchangedsmoothly. The navigation to the desired map may be accomplished via anoptional slotted and layered map index 11 as described in conjunctionwith FIG. 6A, 1-4 or via another suitable indexing system such as a rowor rows of file-like tabs. A slotted and layered topic selector and keyas described in FIG. 6A, 7-8 and a pop-up query box as described in FIG.6B may also be included. A slot for a title 12 within the map area isused to display the mapset title and subcategory title.

FIG. 12C shows an embodiment of the GUI layout for a World Wide Web sitewith each of the components shown in FIG. 12A. The same method andsystem could apply to shopping across numerous web sites. While browsingthrough pages of items, the shopper collects possibilities in the maparea slots. As the shopper proceeds from page to page, they can view thesmaller representations and message box text to be reminded of what hasbeen collected from previous pages. They then can view all those itemscollected in the map at their original size in the control panel areafor comparison to make a final selection. If the control panel documentis a slotted and layered map, the shopper can press and drag to switchitems within the slots and study particular images next to each other.

FIG. 12D illustrates an example of a digital document library, a WorldWide Web site, or an Internet or intranet search and collect tool. Inany of these cases, a user searches for documents containing requestedcontent and is presented with a list of documents of potential interest.From this list, the user can expect to call forth a document to view,replacing the displayed list with the individual document. With theaddition of a map area, map index, and control apparatus such ascheckmarks within the search results document, the library, web site, orsearch tool becomes another embodiment of the GUI layout. By providing acontrol apparatus such as the selection of a checkmark or dragging thelisting text into a slot in the map area, the present invention enablesthe user to save (in the map area) a representation of a document in thelist. This representation may be all or a portion of one of the searchlistings or “links”. It may also be a visual representation of thedocument such as a thumbnail screen shot or one or more graphics orcolors symbolizing categories and topics. Clicking a hilited checkmarkwill grey out an item or remove it from the collection. Upon clicking alink and viewing the actual document, the link may be collected via acheckmark inserted into the document, by dragging the document into themap, or by another method. Additional features such as a map index andmarking tools further enhance the Link Collector as a facilitator ofresearch and analysis.

In the two examples of a search for products and information depicted inFIGS. 12C and 12D, the users are seeking a match or set of matches tosomething they have in mind. As with current document and World Wide Websearches, they go from page to page scanning images, lists, or textlooking for potential matches. However, with the present invention,users may collect visual representations of possibilities in the maparea slots instead of having to try to remember them in their mind's eyeand getting overwhelmed, lost, and confused. This ability to seerepresentations of possible matches as they search improves the flow oftheir thought, decision-making, or shopping process. The ability toreposition and alter the look of certain slots and of their content(e.g. color, greying, bolding) aids the process of categorization,comparison, and selection. An intelligent agent, informed by what isbeing collected, can bring more like those collected into subsequentpages to further enhance the flow, quality, and success of the quest.The present invention may also be used to collect items or links whilesearching across several digital collections or World Wide Web sites.

FIG. 12E shows yet another embodiment of the GUI layout with the maparea to the right of the control panel area that displays a set ofpattern variations. In going from set to set, the user has looked forand collected patterns that “go together” to create a collection ofitems with a particular look. FIG. 12F illustrates how, after accessinga second control panel configuration, a user can change the content orlook of the control panel area via the collected data. In this case theuser has clicked on the “Go to Design Grid” link. In place of the searchdocument in the control panel area, a second map consisting of a blankgrid of slots is displayed. The user drags images into and between theslots in order to design a quilt from collected fabric swatches or afloor layout from collected tiles. This method of collectingpossibilities and then designing or studying alternative combinationswithin a second slotted and layered map that replaces the control panelmay be applied to other analytical, creative, and educational activitiessuch as: 1) collecting furniture, then moving the pieces into and arounda two- or three dimensional floor plan in a second map to design a room;2) collecting plants, paving, and garden features, then moving theelements into and around a two- or three dimensional site plan in thesecond map to design a landscape; 3) collecting images of differentarticles of clothing, then placing and viewing them on a paper-doll-likediagram, photograph, or three-dimensional model in the second map to puttogether an outfit; and 4) collecting images of ancient pottery shards,then placing them within a timeline chart depicting differentcivilizations in the second map to do a lesson or to gain new insightsabout history.

FIGS. 13A-13C show a third exemplar GUI (Graphical User-Interface)layout and its components that is a complex embodiment of the presentinvention providing the ability to study and interconnect documents andseveral maps as part of a research and analytical thought process. Datafor the maps is accessed via both symbol-list keys and documents withspecial control apparatus. The maps are illustrated as a gridded chartor matrix, a graph, and a layered graphic in the form of a geographicmap. The system of the present invention provides for using thekey-enabled document and the symbol-list keys for accessing data andshowing its representations in different forms in one or more of themaps.

The display is divided into several parts as shown in FIG. 13A: acontrol panel area containing a control panel document A with itsdocument navigation system A1 at top right and three map areas B, C, andD. The layout described in FIG. 13A is further detailed in FIG. 13B,with the right hand side of the display having a control panel documentA and a map area B in which data from the document is collected. As inthe examples illustrated in FIGS. 12A-12E, in FIG. 13B, by engaging a“hot” text link 1 or image inserted within the document, that text orimage or a representation of it 3 appears in one of the map slots 2 inmap area B and carries data along with it. If adding graphics such ascheckmarks beside links is not desirable, pressing a text link anddragging it into the map area B may accomplish collecting the link inthe map. Alternatively, this may be accomplished by clicking the linkwhile holding down a designated key on the keyboard, by clicking abutton to change modes, or by some other user-input means to overridethe default of going to the link page upon clicking the link. In thisillustrative diagram, the map in map area B is shown as a gridded chartwith five over four slots. A document index 4 related to the documentnavigation system A1 and a map index 5 as described in FIG. 6 1-8 areshown to the left of the map area B. At the top of the right side, thedocument title 6 appears along with the document navigation system 7 forsearching, finding, and paging through documents. Special controlapparatus 8 for manipulating the map appears to the upper right of themap area B for the gridded chart; for instance a slot may be emptied ofits contents by dragging it into the “x” or a trash can symbol, thenumber of slots for collecting links may be extended through scrollingusing the back and forth arrowheads, a color palette may be provided sothat the user can color code different sets of slots to organize them.

The left hand side of the display diagrammed in FIG. 13B contains twoadditional maps C and D along with the mapset title 9. This illustrationdepicts, in the upper left, a map area C with horizontal slots in theform of a graph and in the lower left, a map area D with a layeredgraphic. A simple symbol-list key 10 and a layered symbol-list key 11,as described in FIGS. 6 and 8, are shown. The simple symbol-list key 10shows the most basic and commonly used data items and special controlapparatus. The layered symbol-list key 11 shown here organizes access toa large information set and collects a layered list of the items thathave been selected 14. The user chooses a topic from the topics listshown in FIG. 12A by clicking on an arrowhead; subtopics for that topicappear below in the layered list as shown in FIG. 12B. This subtopicslist has a retrieval bar as shown in FIG. 12C that can be clicked toview additional subtopics. By clicking on a subtopic in the subtopicslist shown in FIG. 12B, a layered symbol-list key 13 for that subtopicappears to its right. Clicking on the subtopic key's retrieval bar,causes additional items to be accessed. Clicking on an item in thesubtopic key causes a representation of its data to appear in the maparea D. As well, the symbols and label for the item appear in thelayered selections list 14 of the key. From this selections list 14items can be removed from the map area D and then easily re-shown. Itemsthat are removed or “hidden” from the map area D may be greyed in theselections list, or otherwise altered graphically so as to signal thatthey are no longer visible in the map area. A larger number ofselections can be shown by clicking on the key extender 15 that will popup a longer selections list on top of the document in the control panelA. As the user at this point is focusing on the map or maps in the leftside of the display, this pop up selections list does not interfere withviewing the document in the control panel. It can be hidden when theuser focuses back on the document. As the user focuses on one section ofthe display, it may be desirable to increase the size of that sectiontemporarily. Devices may be provided that enable the map areas and theirmaps to be enlarged, such as having the margin lines 16 between areasdraggable so that the user can press on one and move it as if pulling toextend one area into another. Search capabilities such as a “keywordplotter” 17 may be provided to match text in the document with placenames and topics, including themes, people, and objects, that areavailable to be plotted or inserted into slots in geographic map layers,timelines, grid-formatted image catalogs, or other charts.

These interactive capabilities diagrammed in FIG. 13B are furtherillustrated in the scenario described in FIG. 13C. In this scenario, astudent is researching a thesis about the relationship between the urbanpoor and wetlands in various cities. She is reading through documents tofind data relevant to her research. She collects and reformats data inone or more of her maps, then manipulates the representations to betteranalyze patterns and relationships between the collected data. The threemaps into which she collects interrelated data are 1) a “Link Collector”in a gridded chart; 2) a timeline in a graph with horizontal slots; and3) a geographic map atlas in a layered graphic.

As part of organizing her documents to be viewed in the control paneldocument, she has created a list of “Sources” (Original, Books,Journals, Web, Photos, Maps) as her document index. When she clicks onone of the items in the document index for “Sources”, its documentnavigation system appears above. In this case, she has clicked on “Web”and a Web browser bar has appeared. She uses this navigation system tosearch and locate World Wide Web-based documents. For other sourcetypes, an index linked to a set of archives of those source materialsmight appear in the document navigation system area.

The researcher is searching through documents and collecting data andlinks in a gridded chart called her “Link Collection” in a methodsimilar to that described in FIGS. 12A, 12C, and 12D. As she searchesthrough sources, the researcher has identified different cities withrelevant case studies; therefore, she has organized her Link Collectionsmap index by city. She clicks the + plus sign next to the title “Cities”to add and name a new Link Collection for that city; and its nameautomatically is inserted alphabetically in the map index, and theretrieval bar is adjusted accordingly showing the initials of the firstand last items of the list in each layer of the index. To remove an itemfrom the map index, she presses and drags it to the “X” mark at theupper right of the map index. As she searches, the researcher collectslinks in her “Link Collection” for a particular city. If she has theManhattan collection in the map slots and sees a link about Brooklyn,she can click on “Brooklyn” in her map index and the slots will befilled with her Brooklyn collection into which she can save the newBrooklyn link. Then she can go back to the Manhattan collection byclicking the word “Manhattan” in her map index.

The researcher is interested in the historic development of the area oflower Manhattan that originally was a pond and wetlands. At the pointillustrated in FIG. 13C, the researcher is going through World Wide Webpages that have been specially formatted with “smart graphics” text or“links” and is viewing a document about the history of New York City'swater supply. She has the ability to have the document searched forkeywords that can be matched to a list of place names and topics,including themes, people, and objects; if she selects to do so thesewill be plotted on her geographic map, timeline, or other chart andtheir symbols brought to the top of her map key. She can also have thecontrol panel document replaced by a “catalog”—a grid or matrix map ofimages associated with the keywords from which she can view images andchoose to collect them into her image collection which she accesses bytoggling the tab from “Link Collection” to “Image Collection.”

The document is a control panel because it has been specially formattedwith “smart graphics” text or “links” related to the set of slottedmaps. When the researcher drags hilited text up to a slot, the look ofthe hilited text in the document changes to show that it has beencollected. Not only will the hilited text in the document link to pagesof additional information related to the word or phrase; but the link isconfigured so the additional information or the access path to it can bepicked up as the researcher drags the hilited words up to the LinkCollection map. Subsequently, by clicking on a slot, the additionalinformation will appear in the control panel document. Additionalinformation may be passed so that it can be used by the system in otherways. It may inform an intelligent agent to search for more web pageslike those collected and to bring into the key or layers of thegeographic map atlas features related to that which has been collected.The passed information may cause the system to change the content orlook of one or more of the maps. For instance, the data passed mightinclude a date that can determine positioning in the timeline or anaddress or geographic coordinates to determine positioning in ageographic map. The configuration of the link may also include anabbreviated version of the word or phrase so that it will fit into thespace provided in the Link Collection map slots. Alternatively, the usermay be given the ability to save the link with a label of her ownchoosing that will best remind her of that particular data set. Inaddition, instead of collecting one item per slot, the system shownallows the researcher to deposit numerous “smart” graphics linksrelating to a particular subject into the same slot. The researcher hascollected the word “cholera” in the slot named “disease.” New terms andsubjects such as “Kalch-Hook” and “Manhattan Company” she drags intoempty slots to create new categories; the phrase “Manhattan Company” isautomatically shortened to “Manhattan Co.” to fit the slot. Then she canclick on one of these slots to ask to view in the control panel area aparticular set of information associated with the collected links, suchas: 1) all of that category's links, 2) all of its data, 3) a list ofall of the original documents from which the links were collected, or 4)all of the document sections such as paragraphs surrounding those linksin the original documents. She may also choose, via the Keyword Plotter,to have her collection of place names and topics, including themes,people, and objects, plotted in the geographic map, time line, or otherchart. She may choose to see the images associated with these places andtopics in the catalog format in place of the document control panel; shecan then toggle between the text document and her image collection bymeans of the tabs at the top of the Link Collection.

As the researcher progresses in finding relevant data for her researchproject, she can rearrange the words in her Link Collection slots as sheorganizes and thinks about the subject matter. In addition, some of thepatterns and relationships regarding the collected data can be betterunderstood in relationship to time and space. Therefore the systemenables the researcher to have selected data formatted for viewing in atimeline graph and a geographic map. She can drag a “smart graphic” witha date attached from the Link Collection into the timeline. If the“smart graphic” has an address or geographic coordinates attached, itcan be dragged into the geographic map; and if it also has a date, itcan be located within the correct history map layers. The system enablesthe researcher to select a symbol and label for the data to be displayedin the timeline and in the geographic map. The timeline and geographicmap have data for layers and slots in one or more databases that areaccessed through symbol-list keys. The timeline has a scrolling dateretrieval bar at the bottom so that the researcher can position and viewdata for particular eras. To enlarge the timeline, she can press on theright hand edge, the bottom edge, or the bottom right corner to drag andextend the size of the timeline into more of the display area.

The geographic map is connected to an atlas of map layers, data, andimages. Keys are provided to access this data. This map has a simplesymbol-list key in the upper right corner through which basic featurescan be easily shown or hidden. At the bottom it has a layeredsymbol-list key. The researcher has previously brought forth layersincluding those of population density (persons per acre), historicdevelopment, and districts (Civic Center and Chinatown); and they showin the Selections list. The Selections list has special symbols to theright of the map feature symbols through which the researcher can alterhow the feature is displayed. For example, the districts default is asolid pattern; but the “X” enables the street pattern to show, thesquare enables the district outline to show, and the “L” enables labelsto show. The researcher can select any combination of formats for eachfeature. In the map of Manhattan shown in the illustration, theresearcher has selected to show the shoreline, water bodies, and streetsfrom 1660 along with the present day major streets with labels and thestreets of the Civic Center and Chinatown. From the timeline, she hasdragged down the “5-Points” symbol into the map area for the geographicmap so that it will be properly located by the software program based onthe x,y coordinates of its latitude and longitude in the database. Shecan then study the district's relationship to the original pond and itssubsequent filling for development. She can click on the symbol for the“5-Points” and a gridded-map catalog of historic and present-day imagesof the district will appear in the control panel area, replacing thedocument. She can switch from her links- to her images-collection tocollect images from the image catalog or from a document by clicking the“Image Collection” tab below the navigation bar. Via other tabs she canhide the image catalog and go back to her document in the control panel.As she has been reading the document, she has learned about reservoirsassociated with the pond and she is in the process of looking up“reservoir” in the map atlas key to see the location of the reservoirdescribed in the text. She will then click “Zoom In” to have thatportion of the map fill the map area so that she can study that area ofthe city more closely. She can also click “3-D Model” to view herselected layers draped on top of a three-dimensional view of the area inorder to study the data related to topographic changes in elevation.

By the method and system described in this scenario, the researchersmoothly gathers and analyzes data, organizes her conclusions, and thengoes on to use the system of interactive charts, graphs, and maps topresent and publish the thesis in an interactive format.

Although the invention has been described in detail for the purpose ofillustration it is to be understood that such detail is solely for thatpurpose and that variations can be made therein by those skilled in theart without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

1. A data processing system of organizing, retrieving, and displayingdata within a computer system to enable viewing of different,user-selected subsets of elements, said system comprising: a databaseand associated software for storing and retrieving data about elementsand their attributes; a display for displaying a visual representationof selected subset of elements for comparison, wherein each of thedifferent, selected elements is represented by a given symbol, text, orcommon image; and wherein each element's symbol, text or image is givena slot on the display, each of said slots being designated by x, y, andz locations representing the element's real or symbolic relationship toother elements or being designated within a grid; and a controlapparatus for showing and hiding selected subsets on the visualrepresentation, wherein said visual representation includes at least onedisplay control panel with selectors that, in response to system events,call to the database to determine subset elements to be added andsubtracted from the visual representation.
 2. The system of claim 1wherein said elements relate to an interactive map or diagram of aplace, topic, or thing.
 3. The system of claim 1 wherein said selectedelements comprise information forming a computer or online alternativeto reference documents.
 4. The system of claim 1 wherein said selectedelements comprise information forming a computer or online store whereconsumers can ask to see and compare all the available offerings for aparticular category of product from one or more entities.
 5. Adata-processing system for presenting a collection of user selectedinformation elements to display complex topical data in an enhanceddisplay format, said system comprising: at least one display controlpanel for receiving user commands and implementing selective layering ofdata in the form of at least one of graphics, text and images onto abase presentation, wherein said control panel includes at least one ofcontrol icons and text lists for manipulating the content of saidselective layers in accordance with user defined objectives; a databasecomprising one or more data elements for use in providing the substanceto said layered data said selective layering of data, wherein said dataelements are located in an addressable memory in said database; acentral display controller in communication with said database and saidcontrol panel for interpreting commands received by said control paneland directing the placement of said data elements in accordance with apre-programmed hierarchy; and wherein said display is interconnectedwith said central display controller for receiving image data includinga base image and one or more of said selective layers for visualperception by said user.
 6. The system of claim 5 wherein databasefurther comprises database elements for supporting slotted map data forincorporation into said image data on said display.
 7. The system ofclaim 5 wherein said display is a two-dimensional matrix of pixelelements characterizing said data elements.
 8. A display managementsystem for displaying complex data elements, said system comprising: afirst database having a plurality of data elements on a subject and itsgraphic information, said elements are stored in volatile memory andsaid first database capable of being refreshed with current data from asecond database; a display processor characterized by a controllingprogram that provides one or more users with control icons forselectively recalling collections of data; a communication means forlinking said first database with said second database to provide forrefreshed data elements therefrom; and a display for providing amulti-dimensional presentation of selected data element layers inaccordance with system events and said program controlling logic.
 9. Thesystem of claim 8 wherein said communication means is a public accessnetwork.
 10. The system of claim 8 wherein said control icons arefurther characterized by descriptive text that is selectively displayedto enhance navigation and information display.
 11. A data processingsystem as recited in claim 1, wherein said system events comprise a userselection.
 12. A data processing system as recited in claim 1, whereinsaid system events comprise an event detected in accordance with anautomated agent.
 13. A data processing system as recited in claim 2,wherein said map or diagram is two-dimensional, three dimensional, orfour dimensional.
 14. A data processing system as recited in claim 1,wherein said subset elements comprise additional information.
 15. A dataprocessing system as recited in claim 14, wherein said additionalinformation is presented as a flip through presentation.
 16. A dataprocessing system as recited in claim 14, wherein said additionalinformation is advertising information.
 17. A data processing system asrecited in claim 5, wherein said elements comprise additionalinformation related to a user selection.
 18. A data processing system asrecited in claim 17, wherein said additional information is presented asa flip through presentation.
 19. A data processing system as recited inclaim 17, wherein said additional information is advertisinginformation.
 20. A display management system as recited in claim 8,wherein said system events comprise a user selection.
 21. A displaymanagement system as recited in claim 8, wherein said system eventscomprise an event detected in accordance with an automated agent.
 22. Adisplay management system as recited in claim 8, wherein said subsetelements comprise additional information.
 23. A data processing systemas recited in claim 22, wherein said additional information is presentedas a flip through presentation.
 24. A data processing system as recitedin claim 22, wherein said additional information is advertisinginformation.
 25. A computer implemented display management system fordisplaying information relevant a user selection, said systemcomprising: display means for displaying a portion of a list ofelements, said elements having a predefined order; means for displayinga retrieval element having plural segments, each of said segmentscorresponding to a subset of elements in the list; and whereby userselection of a segment from said plural segments will cause acorresponding subset of the elements to be displayed on said displaymeans in the predefined order.
 26. A computer implemented displaymanagement system as recited in claim 25, wherein said list of elementsis in the form of layered blocks of data, each layer comprising one ofsaid subsets of the elements.
 27. A computer implemented displaymanagement system as recited in claim 26, wherein said predefined orderis alphabetical and said segments of said retrieval element eachcorrespond to an alphabetical range.
 28. A computer implemented displaymanagement system as recited in claim 26, wherein said predefined orderis topical and said segments of said retrieval element each correspondto at least one topic.
 29. A computer implemented display managementsystem as recited in claim 26, wherein each of said subsets of elementscomprise a level of the corresponding subset of elements.
 30. A computerimplemented display management system as recited in claim 26, whereinsaid list of elements comprises plural graphical elements.
 31. Acomputer implemented display management system as recited in claim 26,wherein said list of elements comprises plural elements of data.
 32. Acomputer implemented display management system as recited in claim 26,wherein said segmented retrieval element comprises plural segmentsarranged in a linear manner.
 33. The system of claim 1, wherein saidselected elements are collected by a user in layers of at least one mapas the user searches through data records thereby enabling interactionbetween the map and the data records.
 34. The system of claim 33,further comprising image control paradigms for users to graphically editsaid selected elements as part of the search of the data records. 35.The system of claim 33, wherein the control apparatus is associated withsaid selected elements and performs at least one of the following:alters the display of the data records; displays at least a portion ofthe data record in a document area wherein the selected elementsrepresent the content of the data record; and manipulates a layered mapin the document area.
 36. The system of claim 33, wherein said selectedelements inform an intelligent agent that alters the data record basedon the selected elements.
 37. The system of claim 33, further comprisinga layered index with which to access a library of map collectionswherein the layers of a map are filled with content from a mapcollection selected via the layered index and with which to name andsave the map collection for listing in the layered index.
 38. The systemof claim 33, further comprising a layered symbol-list key to fill layersof the map with additional data and data attributes.
 39. The system ofclaim 33, wherein multiple maps and multiple documents are viewable. 40.The system of claim 33, wherein multiple maps are viewable andinterconnected to show one data set in different map formats.
 41. Thesystem of claim 33, wherein the control apparatus includes a palette oftools by which users mark a map in at least one of the following; aspart of a user's review of the map; to signal a change of content of oneor more layers of the map; to inform an intelligent agent; inpreparation for publication; and as part of a user's presentation ofinformation embodied in the map.
 42. The system of claim 5, wherein saidselective layering of data includes advertisements and relatedinformation relevant to the content of the map topic based on the userselections within the control panel or key.
 43. The system of claim 5,wherein said selective layering of data includes advertisements relevantto the place, topic, or object represented by the map symbol, whereinthe map symbol is a user-controlled icon for toggling advertisingmaterial and other information related to the place, topic, or object.44. The system of claim 5, wherein said selective layering of data bythe control icon includes a hideable panel, wherein the hideable panellayer further includes a control apparatus by which the user specifiesthe content of the hideable panel layer.
 45. The system of claim 5,wherein the control panel includes a control apparatus in the form of asegmented bar used to change the content of the control panel or maplayer.
 46. The system of claim 5, wherein said selective layering ofdata includes a hideable panel which contains form fields, text lists,and icons for defining a query and for submitting data.
 47. The systemof claim 8 wherein said program controlling logic includes anintelligent agent that alters the content of the selected data elementlayers based on user actions and user-selected subsets of viewedelements.
 48. The system of claim 47, wherein said intelligent agentalters the content of the selected data element layers to showattribute-match results by searching for attributes selected by the userand attributes associated with content selected by the user.
 49. Thesystem of claim 47 wherein said intelligent agent alters the content ofthe selected data element layers to show partial attribute-match resultsand match results by searching for attributes selected by the user andattributes associated with the content selected by the user.
 50. Acontrol panel for displaying base data of a computer document, thecontrol panel comprising: a computer document; an index for accessingand retrieving the document for display; a control apparatus to displaydata in layered slots; and a smart graphics symbol on the displayed datathat responds to user commands to annotate map layers and slots.
 51. Thecontrol panel of claim 50, wherein the computer document is a productpage with descriptions and access to an ordering system.
 52. The controlpanel of claim 50, wherein the control apparatus displays data in anoverlaid map.
 53. The control panel of claim 50, wherein the controlapparatus displays data in a gridded map.
 54. The control panel of claim50, wherein the smart graphics symbol includes an image withidentification and action information attached.
 55. The control panel ofclaim 50, wherein the smart graphics symbol activates user-triggeredscripts and data in a database to retrieve text or graphic data from thedatabase in response to user input.
 56. The control panel of claim 50,wherein the smart graphics symbol informs an intelligent agent to bringdata similar to the displayed base data into the control panel.
 57. Thecontrol panel of claim 50, wherein the smart graphics symbol informs anintelligent agent to transform the content of the computer document inthe control panel based on the base data collected.
 58. The controlpanel of claim 54, wherein the identification and action information ofthe smart graphics symbol denotes a set of isolated representations foradditional study by the user.
 59. The control panel of claim 58, whereinthe identification and action information of the smart graphics symbolincludes a collection notation for identifying the set of isolatedrepresentations for additional study by the user.
 60. The control panelof claim 59, wherein the collection notation identification and actioninformation fills the control panel with the image, name, anddescription of the isolated representations.
 61. The control panel ofclaim 59, wherein the collection notation identification and actioninformation fills the control panel with the image, name, anddescription of the isolated representations.
 62. The system of claim 5,further comprising a second control panel that replaces the computerdocument by inserting and displaying a map comprising a blank grid ofslots wherein a user drags images from the original control panel to thesecond control panel to design alternative combinations of base data.63. The system of claim 1, wherein said visual representation of thecontrol apparatus changes in appearance based on the subset elementsselected for adding and subtracting from the visual representation. 64.The system of claim 1, wherein said subset of elements selected foradding and subtracting from the visual representation are stored forviewing in a control panel list.
 65. The system of claim 1, wherein saidsubset of elements selected for adding and subtracting from the visualrepresentation are stored for at least one of display and viewing in acontrol panel when the user returns to the visual representation. 66.The system of claim 1, wherein at least one display control paneldisplays control apparatus representing the subset of elements selectedfor adding and subtracting from the visual representation.
 67. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein at least one display control panel displayscontrol apparatus representing the subset of elements selected forshowing and hiding on said visual representation and the selectedelements are stored for display when the user returns to the visualrepresentation.
 68. The system of claim 1, wherein said controlapparatus provides an annotation display of additional informationregarding a subset element in a slot.
 69. The system of claim 68,wherein said annotation display is activated by selecting the givensymbol, text, or common image associated with the element's slot. 70.The system of claim 69, wherein said annotation display of additionalinformation includes advertising related to the element.
 71. The systemof claim 1, wherein said control apparatus displays selectors based onthe content of the subset elements.
 72. The system of claim 1, whereinsaid control apparatus displays selectors based upon at least one ofadvertising, sponsorship branding, and purchasing opportunities relatedto the content of the subset elements.
 73. The system of claim 68,wherein said annotation display of additional information is based onthe content of the subset elements.
 74. The system of claim 1, whereinsaid control apparatus includes a panel for selecting multipleattributes for a query to the database to determine subset elements fordisplay.
 75. The system of claim 1, wherein said control apparatusincludes at least one of user marks and user notations displayed in aslot.
 76. The system of claim 1, wherein said control apparatus includesmeans to edit at least one of the symbol, text, and image in a slot andthe data in the database associated with the symbol, text, or image in aslot.
 77. The system of claim 1, wherein said visual representation issaved for future access.
 78. The system of claim 1, wherein said visualrepresentation is made available for access by others.
 79. The system ofclaim 1, wherein said display is a wireless, portable display.
 80. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein said data is displayed in at least one of aroll-up display, a fold-up display, and a stretchable display.
 81. Thesystem of claim 5, wherein said data is displayed in a wireless,portable display.
 82. The system of claim 5 wherein said data isdisplayed in at least one of a roll-up display, a fold-up display, and astretchable display.
 83. The system of claim 2, wherein said map ordiagram is at least one of two-dimensional, three dimensional, and fourdimensional.
 84. The system of claim 2, wherein said slots for thediagram are three-dimensional.
 85. The system of claim 2, wherein saidslots for the diagram are four-dimensional.
 86. The system of claim 8,wherein graphic information and associated data is shared between atleast one of users and databases.
 87. The system of claim 8, furthercomprising a layered visual representation and control apparatus forviewing at least one of graphic information and associated datasubmitted to a database of the system for display by others.
 88. Thesystem of claim 8, wherein said display management system searches oneor more documents for data to be provided in said presentation ofselected data element layers.
 89. The system of claim 8, wherein saiddisplay management system searches one or more documents for at leastone of words and images of at least one of geographic names, terms, andconcepts to be provided in a geographic map version of said presentationof selected data element layers.
 90. The system of claim 8, wherein saiddisplay management system searches one or more documents for at leastone of words and images of at least one of geographic names, terms, andconcepts to determine document data to be provided in a geographic mapversion of said presentation of selected data element layers.
 91. Thesystem of claim 8, wherein said display management system searches oneor more documents for time data related to data to be provided in a timeline version of said presentation of selected data element layers. 92.The system of claim 8, further comprising an intelligent agent to searchone or more documents for data to be provided in said presentation ofselected data element layers based on the user's activity.
 93. Thesystem of claim 8, further comprising an intelligent agent to search oneor more documents for product-related data to be provided in saidpresentation of selected data element layers based on the user'sactivity.
 94. The system of claim 8, wherein said display managementsystem provides for the display of a layered visual representation andcontrol apparatus for viewing data regarding selections of subsetelements by one or more users.
 95. The system of claim 8, wherein saiddatabase includes the storage of data in a common format to accept datafrom additional sources to gather, store, file, store data to generate amapset for display.
 96. The system of claim 8, wherein said datamanagement system includes remuneration to owners of graphic informationand associated data based upon an owner's grant of access to the graphicinformation and associated data by at least one of a user and adatabase.
 97. The system of claim 1, wherein said control apparatus isinserted within a text or image document to serve as a means of addingand subtracting selected subsets from the visual representation.
 98. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein said control apparatus adds and subtractsselected subsets simultaneously on two or more visual representations.99. The system of claim 1, wherein said control apparatus is insertedwithin a text or image document by means of an intelligent agent. 100.The system of claim 5, further comprising a keyword plotter to matchtext in the document with place names and topics by plotting the placenames and topics on a map.
 101. The system of claim 100, wherein thetopics matched by the keyword plotter include at least one of themes,people, and objects.
 102. The system of claim 100, wherein the topicsare plotted or inserted into slots in at least one of geographic maplayers, timelines, grid-formatted image catalogs, and charts.
 103. Acontrol panel for displaying base data on a presentation of layeredslots.
 104. The control panel of claim 103, wherein the controlapparatus displays data in an overlaid map.
 105. The control panel ofclaim 103, wherein the control apparatus displays data in a gridded map.106. The control panel of claim 103, wherein the control panel includesa computer document.
 107. The control panel of claim 106, wherein thecontrol panel document is a page of images and text for collection inthe slotted map presentation.
 108. The control panel of claim 106,wherein the control panel document is a page of products withdescriptions for collection in the slotted map presentation.
 109. Thecontrol panel of claim 106, wherein the control panel document is a pageof search links for collection in the slotted map presentation.
 110. Thecontrol panel of claim 103, wherein the displayed data is at least oneof a smart graphics symbol, an image, text, and a link that responds touser commands to annotate map layers and slots.
 111. The control panelof claim 110, wherein the smart graphics includes an image withidentification and action information attached.
 112. The control panelof claim 110, wherein the display of the smart graphics activatesuser-triggered scripts and data in a database to retrieve text orgraphic data from the database in response to user input.
 113. Thecontrol panel of claim 110, wherein the display of the smart graphicsinforms an intelligent agent to bring data similar to the displayed basedata into the control panel.
 114. The control panel of claim 110,wherein the display of the smart graphics informs an intelligent agentto transform the content of the computer document in the control panelbased on the base data collected.
 115. The control panel of claim 111,wherein the identification and action information of the smart graphicsdenotes a set of isolated representations for additional study by theuser.
 116. The control panel of claim 115, wherein the identificationand action information of the smart graphics includes a collectionnotation for identifying the set of isolated representations foradditional study by the user.
 117. The control panel of claim 116,wherein the collection notation identification and action informationfills the control panel with at least one of the image, name, anddescription of the isolated representations.
 118. The control panel ofclaim 103, wherein the control apparatus of said control panel ispresented in one or more layered slots.
 119. The control panel of claim118, wherein at least one of symbols, images, and text of said controlpanel apparatus changes in the layered slots in response to systemevents.
 120. The control panel of claim 118, wherein said controlapparatus provide for the replacement of one block of at least one ofsymbols, images, and text with a second block of at least one ofsymbols, images, and text within the control panel.
 121. The controlpanel of claim 120, wherein said control apparatus within the controlpanel provides for the organization of and access to an index for a dataset.
 122. The control panel of claim 120, wherein said control apparatusis at least one of an arrow, a symbol, a segmented bar, a tabbed bar, atopical list, alphabetical list, numerical list, and graphical line.123. The system of claim 5, further comprising a second control panelthat replaces the computer document by inserting and displaying a mapcomprising a blank grid of slots wherein a user drags images from theoriginal control panel to the second control panel to design alternativecombinations of base data.
 124. The system of claim 1 wherein saidselected elements comprise information forming a computer or onlinealternative to reference documents.
 125. The system of claim 124,wherein said alternative to reference documents is an atlas.
 126. Thesystem of claim 124, wherein said alternative to reference documents isan encyclopedia.
 127. The system of claim 124, wherein said alternativeto reference documents is a text book.
 128. The system of claim 124,wherein said alternative to reference documents is a natural historyguide.
 129. The system of claim 124, wherein said alternative toreference documents is a travel guide.
 130. The system of claim 124,wherein said alternative to reference documents is a yellow pagesdirectory.
 131. The system of claim 124, wherein said alternative toreference documents is a product catalogue.
 132. The system of claim124, wherein said alternative to reference documents is a machinemanual.
 133. The system of claim 124, wherein said alternative toreference documents is a land-use planning report.